Women, by and large, are still being paid less than their male counterparts. In Canada, the wage gap is substantial — women on average make 31% less than men — but that tends to get largely ignored by financial companies as they periodically churn out reports on how women are less likely to take financial risks, or are less financially sound.

In the past year, we’ve tried to draw attention to how less-than-ideal financial habits are situational, rather than fated. This is especially true of women, who often have the (financial) odds stacked against them.

So, in celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re rounding up a few of our favourite stories on the subject of women and money — and the ridiculous (and sometimes flat-out strange) issues that can come up when the two intersect.

We need to get rid of the ugly stereotypes around women and money

Just ask me about the time a man made a ‘harmless’ joke about me spending all of my boyfriend’s money, or the time a different man called me a gold digger. In the workplace. 

Stereotypes can be self-fulfilling prophecies, and in Desirae Odjick’s experience, that is definitely the case when it comes to women and… so many things. When employers buy into the myth that female employees are less “serious” about their careers, they’re less likely to offer those employees mentorships or promotions. If financial advisors believe women are inherently more risk-averse, they’re more likely to offer female clients lower-risk investment products. Odjick sounds off on these, and other, infuriating stereotypes — as well as one dumb coffee mug.

Why is it still way more expensive to be a woman than a man in Canada?

Products aimed at women are marked up at every store. This applies to standard products like razors, deodorant, and shampoo. They’re more expensive ONLY because they’re a ‘female’ version of a particular product. 

Have you ever suspected that products in pink packaging come with a premium? Well, you’re not exactly wrong. Here, Maureen Genore asks why products marketed to women are often more expensive — even when they’re not qualitatively different from the same products that are marketed to men.

Real estate movie trailers gone wild — the strange and sexist trend for selling luxury homes

Producing a video that walks potential buyers through a hypersexualized fantasy that literally paints women as another glamorous feature of the house is ridiculous, inappropriate, and confusing. 

A candid look at the weird, sexist bent in high-concept real estate videos.

Young Money: This 27-year-old worked three jobs to open the geek bar of her dreams

Like most people looking to start their own business, Sara needed a lot more cash than most millennials have access to. The natural solution is to seek out investors or secure a loan. Sara did neither of these things. Instead, she worked like a maniac and saved until she could finance the venture herself. 

And then, there are those success stories, despite the odds. In her mid-twenties, Sara Nguyen saw a market that wasn’t being catered to — and worked hard to do it herself. Her geek bar/café, See-scape, is now a focal point in Toronto’s trendy Junction neighbourhood.

Five Canadian women changing the face of personal finance

In Canada, women are a growing force in finance, founding game-changing companies, blazing trails in the public sector, and becoming leading voices in the personal finance blogosphere. 

The title says it all.